This month, we’re excited to celebrate and appreciate our amazing social workers, Liz Brot and Cherish Casey. They are part of our Family Support team – consisting of two social workers, a social work intern, a Family Navigator, and a Family Engagement Coordinator. The team works tirelessly to ensure all families at Ellis feel supported and have what they need.
Ellis strives to provide the best in early childhood education. All children thrive together because we offer excellent early education and care regardless of their family circumstances. Our social workers play a vital role in creating a safe, warm, nurturing environment for the children to develop their cognitive, social, and emotional skills.
They provide a range of services to our families and children, such as:
Play-therapy with the children in both 1:1 and group settings;
Preschool social skills groups help children learn how to interact with others
Support classroom and children by collaborating with teachers and staff;
Referrals to early intervention, outpatient therapy, family/in-home therapy, and Boston Public School evaluations;
Community resources for food, housing, and health assistance;
Individual family meetings to help families create goals and action plans;
Group meetings through the Caregiver Circle to help the families connect and share their struggles and successes;
Financial coaching to help families budget and save money through the Empath program;
Crisis intervention for families facing emergencies or challenges;
Access to basic needs such as diapers, wipes, clothing, and groceries;
Planning family engagement activities such as weekend Playgroups;
Department of Children and Families liaising, support, and guidance.
These are just some examples of what our social workers do on a daily basis. They go above and beyond to make a difference in the lives of our families and children. Whether that be basic needs or supporting educators and children with social-emotional learning, our team believes in meeting every family where they are without judgment. We are so grateful for everything they do for Ellis Early Learning.
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LIZ BROT Lead Social Worker Liz has always worked with children. After being a pre-k teacher, she pursued a Master’s in Social Work. Then, she moved to Vermont to work for a Residential facility that helps mothers with addiction and mental struggles. Now back in Boston, Liz joined Ellis in November 2022 from her role at the Home for Little Wanderers. | CHERISH CASEY Social Worker Cherish, after working with families for more than ten years, last year she decided to go back to school and pursue a Master’s Degree in Social Work. She started at Ellis as Family Navigator and has now transitioned to the Social Workers team. Cherish’s passion began during high school when she took a social work course, and she has always loved working with children. | NICOLE O’REILLY Social Worker Intern Nicole is completing her Master’s in Social Work at Case Western University. She started her internship with Ellis in February 2022. She always knew she wanted to become a Social Worker thanks to her experience as an adopted child. Nicole wants to make a difference in the lives of DCF children and families. |